Supporters of Raj Mattu have spoken of their delight the doctor turned whistleblower has won unfair dismissal.

The £70,000-a-year cardiologist was cleared of wrongdoing by Birmingham Employment Tribunal, which ruled the trust unfairly dismissed him and subjected him to “detriments” because he was a whistleblower.

A year later the £70,000-a-year doctor was suspended by the trust on full pay after being accused of bullying.

He was dismissed in 2010.

One of his loyal supporters, the Rev Jim Canning says that while delighted he also feels sad it has so taken long.

Mr Canning, who was secretary of the Raj Mattu Reinstatement Committee while vicar at St Paul’s Church in Foleshill, told the Telegraph: “I’m delighted to say we’ve won the war, although it’s taken more than 12 years.

“I thought it would only take three days to get him back to work and we did a lot of campaigning in the early days, in the streets with petitions and letters to all sorts of people in government.

“The decision is wonderful but I can’t understand how much tax payers money has been spent on the battle, keeping him out of employment, over the years when he did nothing wrong.

“It’s so sad that someone’s career has been sacrificed and the hospital has not said sorry.”